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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · mug · stand · charge · firm · squash · chip · foot

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — to bear
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. foot — a measure
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — in control
  14. firm — steady
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com